UP CLOSE: The King's Head as the friendly face on Teddington High Street
Launching its sponsorship with Nub News Teddington, regional editor Emily Dalton spoke to assistant manager Aoife Mulcahy on how The King's Head is a friendly face on the high street.
Taking centre stage on high street, The King's Head stands out as significant landmark in leafy Teddington.
"We've got the traditional pub at the front, and that is what we really try to do," Aoife says. "We've got loads of locals who come in regularly. We try to know them by name and have a chat."
At the centre of the community, The King's Head is truly a friendly local face. Always buzzing with either mum's catching up over coffee, the early finisher in for a cheeky pint, the couple of a mid-week date night or an impromptu catch-up with old friends.
"It's what makes the job enjoyable, seeing those people day-in and day-out," Aoife says. "If it was new faces every day, you'd feel a bit anonymous."
She adds that she "can't walk down the high street without bumping into someone", but that is a perk of the job.
Speaking of her love for the locals and working on the bar side, Aoife says most of the regulars have a favourite spot "so you do what you can to make sure they can sit there".
She says: "Joe is always by the door. He's got a picture of a ship that his father sailed on, by the window behind that table so that's where he sits."
You can see how it works both ways: the regulars love to know the bar tenders and have a chat, and the staff like to hear how the guests are getting on.
"When guests turn up and you can tell they're here for a good time, you know we, [the staff], are going to have a fun day at work," Aoife says. "And they're going to (hopefully) have a good time with us."
The King's Head also has a good relationship with the National Physical Laboratory (NPL) with visitors frequently dining and drinking from conferences and events.
The award-winning pub and restaurant is owned by Heartwood Inns, with Raymond Blanc at the helm, who has given it some great food credentials.
Towards the back of the establishment, is a beautiful modern dining area. The iconic grill- perfect for cooking steak, fish and charring vegetables- is the centre piece of the restaurant.
Changing every three months or so, the seasonal menu is stays true to the restaurant's French roots with Raymond Blanc as the chef patron. Specials such as snails flirt with a timeless French flair, whilst modern European twists is also explored throughout the menu.
"We've modernised things over the past few years," Aoife says. "We've taken more influence from different cuisines around the world."
A vegetarian herself, Aoife speaks excitedly about the new veggie and vegan options on their most recent menu. Stand-out dishes like beetroot houmous and harissa baked aubergine show a kitchen that goes far beyond the exhausted vegetarian staple.
Ingredients are sourced from high bar retailers, like Wellock vegetable grocers. The pub also has a Cornish connection: collecting British meat from Aubrey Allen, previously the queen's butcher's, the pub serves meat with a royal seal of approval.
Aoife says the pub likes to keep it "welcoming" as well as being "attentive and efficient".
Painted in neutral and earthy tones, the dining area oozes a calming and sophisticated atmosphere. The pub has a designer who carefully crafts the dining room aesthetic to give it a homely yet stylish feel.
Pointing out the charmingly mismatched furniture, Aoife tells me a pair of chairs were donated by a woman who had come in for lunch one day. The lady was given a voucher as a token of gratitude from the restaurant.
Always switching things up, The King's Have recently innovated its Happy Hours. Previously 2-for-1 on cocktails, Aoife said it did not fit all the guests we want to look after".
From 5pm-7pm on weekdays and Saturday, guests can purchase 2-for-1 on drinks from beers, wines, gin & tonics, as well as cocktails.
Aoife said: "The new happy hour is exciting because you feel you can give something back to all the people who have been stood waiting at the bar while you make eight cocktails in the past."
As the nights get darker, and Teddington Light Up is on the horizon, Aoife tells me The King's head is gearing up for the most wonderful (and busiest) time of the year.
Launching their Christmas menu and parties from the end of November she said: "It is crazy how much my mind is occupied by Christmas and organising parties."
The pub may already be fully booked for the big day itself, guests can still enjoy the best the party season has to offer.
An extensive Christmas menu of classic hearty dishes- three courses, coffee and a mince pie at £37.50 per person- is available from the 20 November.
Private dining options are available for functions and end of year parties. Or for a more intimate setting, table bookings are also to hand. Aoife assures me, whatever the size, The King's Head loves hosting.
Fully in the Christmas mindset, Aoife says: "When the guests are ready to accept that Christmas is coming, we're ready to hear from them."
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Teddington Nub News is proud to announce that The King's Head is the latest sponsor of our news service.
The King's Head's support will help us deliver the high-quality journalism that Teddington deserves - no clickbait or intrusive ads, just the latest updates on what's happening in our town.
It is thanks to the generosity of organisations like The King's Head that we can continue our mission to revive local news, both in Teddington and across the UK.
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